The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1887-02-23
CHAPTER Y.


Nadine rushes up the stairs, Mortified
by what she has just heard in the hall,
and filings herself into her friends arms.
"Such thing 10 happen to you" she
cries in her little rapid fashion. 1.-THE
miscreant!-the assassin! Oh, Millicent,
when Brown (the butler) "stopped me
in the hall to tell me the dreadful news
nearly faintcd. Only the idea of seeing
You face 10 face to make sure of your es-
cape sustained me, and gave me strength
to &c: here. y
Indeed she is as pale as IA ghost, and
her eyes are full Of tears. Sweet eyes, as
full OF love as tears.
well, now you have seen me" with a
laugh, and n gentle shake administered
10 the trembling Nadine, "cheer up "A bit,
and let the blood flow into those wan
cheeks. Talking about blood flowing,
I'm glad mine was not let loose last
night"
ooh, don't-don'tm says Nadine,
shuddering violently.
"Well, there, there. have unnerved
you, and ought to be ashamed of my
self But the fact is, ain unnerved my
self only my nervousness has the effect
of raising n W Use of ridicule within me.
l cannot keep from testing on last
nights adventure, though dare say to-
morrow | shall be Frustrated 1t is a
strange excitement, better not INDUCED.
Well! it is an i'll wind that blows nobody
good. You cannot compel me, tyrant
that you are! TO stammer over my Ger
man to-day"
An arrangement had been entered into
between them some weeks ago, when
Millicent had been brought out, and was
Ia, l,a,, lit ,,1l
the schoolroom behind her. Nadine,
for many reasons, would not consent TO
be her companion. One was because she
could not well leave her mother; another
because of her engagement to Paul An.
nerley; another (was it SO very import
ant) because she could not give up the
tuition of Mr.. Duran's little daughter.
SO Millicent had squared matters by de-
claring to her auntic that though she
considered she knew as much music as
would carry her on through life, her
knowledge of German was still singularly
deficient, and auntie, delighted at this
trait of intellectual diligence in her
niece, had at once requested Miss Roche
TO continue her three visits week to
Park lane as heretofore.
'Tell me about it, " says Nadine breath
lessly, her big blue eyes enlarged with
fear and curiosity. She has seated her.
self on dainty prize dieu, and is leaning
forward with clasped hands in an attitude
highly suggestive of prayer, and there
fore highly suited to the chair.
Millicent, nothing loath, makes her a
present of the entire scene from begin
ming to end.
"ie might have been n much worse
burglar, all things considered, and there
was quite touch of chivalry-a suspic-
ion of Claude Duval--in the fact of his
making me present of my own locket,"
she says, still unable to refrain from
turning the whole thing into ridicule.
ITO go to the very root of the matter, it
must be confessed that I am the proud
possessor of his heart. He left me that
at least
"1he coward" says Nadine, clasping
her pretty hands, ''to attack alone one
poor woman! But, Millicent, from what
you tell me, II don't think the burglar
could have been quite common man.
Was he tall-handsome?"
Handsome! Why, l couldn't see a
feature in his face. You don't suppose
that that sort of person comes around
with an open, ingenious countenance,
ready for all mems Inspections II so, you
are mistaken, My burglar came with a
mask that prevented me from seeing the
chiseled features that feel convinced lay
beneath it. Altogether, he was not of the
common, every day lot that one meets
He WAS departure from the regular
lines. He was strange to me! Strange!
And yeti
Suddenly the half hooking, wholly gay
air she has used hitherto drops from her,
and she turns upon Nadine a startled
glance. She leans toward her, and lay
ing her hand upon her shoulders, subjects
her to an exhaustive scrutiny.
81 must speak. / must tell you," she
says at last. st has weighed upon me
ever since, and-and-the others would
consider it in the light of nightmare,
or else say the idea arose from feeling
of nervous horror; but it did not"
"What is it, Millicent? You forget
do not understand" says Nadine, little
swed by the solemnity of the others
glance.
"Just this: that that terYible burglar,
from the time he entered my room to the
time he left it, seemed strangely famil-
lar cannot account for 1t. His voice
never heard before. He was dressed in
the clothes of n common workman, and
know no workman. His face, indeed,
was hidden
She stops abruptly as though oppressed
by some hidden thought.
"Yes, it was hidden" she says at last.
"Yet / am pursued by hideous fear
that If co aid have removed that mask
the features would have been familiar to
mev'
She sinks back in her chair, looking
pale and exhausted
''It is mere nervousness" says Nadine
tenderly. "A chimera arising from an
overweight sensibility. Do not think
of him again, darling Rest, and time
will cure you Of that foolish phantasy."